Impulse counter and stop watch timer



Oct 24, 1939. P. 'E. KLOPSTEG IMPULSE COUNTER AND STOP WATCH TIMER driginal Filed May 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 24, 1939. P. E. KLOPSTEG I IMPULSE COUNTER AND STOP WATCH TIMER Original Filed May 16, 1929 2 sheets sheet 2 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE IMPULSE COUNTER AND STOP WATCH TIMER Paul E. Klopsteg, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Gen tral Scientific Company, a corporation of Illinois 6 Claims.

This invention relates to counter and timer devices and more particularly to electrically operated impulse counter and stop watch timer dev ces.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of new and improved mechanism for indicating the number of electrical impulses energizing an electric circuit in a predetermined period of time.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved device for indicating electrical impulses in electric circuits especially adapted to be used by students in experimental work in school and college laboratories and the like.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved apparatus for simultaneously indicating intervals of time and the number of electrical impulses energizing an electric circuit by the operation of an electrically operated timer device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved electrically operated impulse counter and stop watch timer that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easily assembled, composed of few moving parts and that isefllcient and accurate in operation.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the-description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the application of the fundamental principles to a moment oi inertia machine, inclined plane and horizontal plane acceleration and velocity devices, and an Atwood machine for determining the law of falling bodies together with an impulse counter and stop watch timer device constituting the subject matter of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of counter.

In the study of displacement and acceleration of masses under the laws and forces governing the same, especially in experimental work conducted by trained experimenters as well as by students in schools and colleges, it is highly dethe cover of the impulse sirable that the apparatus be accurate and that the experimental data be obtained in a minimum amount of time and effort. The present invention is designed more particularly for use in this relation.

' Referring now to the application there is disclosed one embodiment of the invention which is by way of example only.

A general organization showing the use of the device in connection with experimental apparatus is illustrated in Fig. 1 in which is shown a source of current epresented by the battery A, a spark timer in icated generally by B, which opens the primary circuit of a spark coil, indicated generally by C, the'secondary of which delivers sparks to a record receiver associated with a moment of inertia machine, generally indicated by D, an inclined plane acceleration device, indicated generally by E, a horizontal plane velocity device, indicated generally by F, and an Atwood machine for determining the laws for falling bodies, indicated generally 'by G, and associated with the spark timer B, is the impulse counter and stop watch device, generally indicated by H. The device may be employed with one or more of the different apparatuses shown, or may be associated with all as illustrated.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 363,688, filed May 16,, 1929, Patent No. 2,024,230, of December 17, 1935. v

Referring now more particularly to'Figs. 2, 3 and 4 there is shown a base II6 equipped with a metal stamping I I1 provided with upturned arms H8, H9, I20. The arm IIO carries the coils I2I of an electro-magnet which are connected-withbinding posts I22 carried by the base H8.

The armature I23 is mounted to rock on pivot bearings I24, carried by the arms H9, and is constantly urged to the right in Fig. 3, by a spring I25 adjustably connected at I26 to the arm I20, which also carries an adjustable stop I2I for limiting the rotation of the armature away from the magnet.

The armature is equipped with an arm I28, carrying a driving pawl I29, adapted to cooper ate with a ratchet I30, fixed to a shaft I3I, journaled in the hollow post I32, made fast to the stamping III and the base H6. A post I33 (Fig. on the base II6 carries a holding pawl I34 and a stop finger I35 for the driving pawl I29.

The binding posts I22, which are suitably insulated from each other, may be inserted in the wire connection 51 of Fig. 1, or may be substituted for the binding pfists of the primary of the spark coil C. In either case, the windings I2I will be intermittently energized, and cooperate with the spring I25 to give the armature a rocking motion.

As the armature rocks to the left in Figs. 2 and 3, the curved end I36 of the pawl I29 drives the ratchet counter-clockwise until the curved end strikes the stop finger I05, which checks the motion of the pawl, and, therefore, the armature, and also locks the pawl to the ratchet to prevent the latter overrunning. Each oscillation of the armature will, therefore, move the ratchet one tooth, and the pawl I24 will hold the ratchet while the armature rocks to the right.

The shaft III is equipped with a needle or pointer I31 (Fig. 4) running over a suitable scale I28, carried by the casing I39, and visible through the crystal I40.

The shaft Iii is also equipped with a pinion I4I meshing with a gear I42 on a shaft I43 journaled in a hollow column I44 fixed to the base I IS. The shaft I40 is also equipped with a shorter needle, or pointer I45 running over a smaller scale I45, also visible through the crystal I40.

A lever I41 fulcrumed at I40 on the bottom of the base IIG has a wedge or cam I40 adapted to control the armature by engagement with the arm I thereon which projects downwardly through a slot in the base. The end of the lever I41 opposite to the wedge I49 is pivoted to a push rod I5I loosely in the base I I0 and normally held in a raised position by a spring I25, against the free end of a leaf spring I52; and this rod IIII is equipped with a ringer piece I! at a convenient height above the base.

The invention may be employed in numerous relations and with various types of devices. In Fig. 1 is shown the application of the invention to several diiierent devices which will illustrate its wide range of use and adaptability.

The spark coil or transformer C is provided with a primary winding indicated at 54, is in circuit with the spark tmer B, which in turn is. in circuit through the conductors 5|, 03, 50, 51, etc.,

with a source of electrical energy such as a battery A. The timer comprises electromagnets 40, a vibrator or armature 22 supported at I4 and operating between adjustable contact points 20 and 30, shown diagrammatically'in Fig. 1, the secondary of this coil having the leads 01 and 00. Suitable switches or contacts 01c, 01!, 010 or 01h, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 are employed for closing the secondary or sparking circuit through the coil or transformer C.

An incline plane accelerator device is shown at E and comprises an incline track 02 along which a massive roller QI is adapted to travel. The roller is iournalled as at 03, in a frame 04. A sensitized strip or record receiving member 00 is attached to the frame as at 05, and passes over a pulley 01 mounted on a bracket 00 at the upper end of the track 02. A light weight 09, attached to the lower end of the strip 00, insures the proper travel of the strip over the pulley.

The conductor 00 is electrically connected with the pulley 01 over which the strip 00 travels, and spark point device I]! which-is electrically connected to the switch. Contact 01a is arranged adjacent to the pulley so that when the switch S is moved to engage the contact 019, the electrical impulse caused by the vibration of the member 22 will cause sparks to pass from IIO through the strip into the pulley, thereby recording along the of any timepiece.

sensitized strip I06, the other end of which is connected to the mass as at I05.

The strip I06 passes over roll I01 journalled to bracket I08 at the outer end of the track I04. The mass may be varied by removable weights I02, which are adapted to engage support III on the mass I00.

The lead 88 of the transformer or coil C is in electrical connection with the pulley I01 and switch 81] is in connection with the spark device H5 which operates the roll I01. The weight is adapted to move the mass I00 along the track and simultaneously the sparking device H5 will deliver sparks which are controlled by the vibrating bar 22 to the record receiving strip I00.

An inertia device is shown at D and comprise; a rotating mass I3 having a circular periphery 05 on which the record receiving member may be secured. The rotating mass is in electrical connection with the secondary coil of the transformer by the lead 88 and a sparking device I4 opens the periphery of the rotating masses in electrical connection with the switch 81h through the conductor 81'. When the device is in the position shown in Fig. 1,-with the switch 8 in engagement with the contact 01h, sparks will be delivered to the sensitized strip or sheet during the rotation of the mass.

An Atwood machine is shown at G and comprises a pulley III over which a sensitized record receiving strip or band formed in a loop, is adapted to travel. This strip or band is provided at diflerent points with balancing weights H2 and I I3, one of which is augmented by the addition of a driving weight I I 4. The weight II4, under the influence of gravity, will cause the strip to travel over the roller and a sparking device III will deliver sparks through the same, which are con- ,trolled by the operation of the vibrating bar 21.

In the operation of the device in connection with the operation of the Atwood machine, for example, a sensitized record strip I I0 is placed on the pulley III and the balancing weights II2, Ill and the driving weight II4 are applied. After the indicators I31 and I4! of the impulse counter and watch timer are set, the circuit is closed and the driving weight released. From the number of impressions made on the record strip in a given length or time as indicated by the device, the distances between the impressions noted and corrections made for friction, etc., the laws of falling bodies may be experimentally determined. The operation of theimpulse counter and stop watch timer is similar when used with the other devices, A, D and E and need not be here repeated.

In all these experiments compensation for friction can readily be made by applying weight to the system until uniform motion ensues, obtaining a spark record, reducing it to numerical data by suitable measurements and making a corresponding correction on the other charts made.

The period of time corresponding to a chart record, including any number 01' sparks is best ascertained by the spark timer B. p

For any given adjustment of the spark timer. the impulse counter must be rated with some standard such as a stop watch or the second hand releasing the controller of the impulse counter as the second hand passes a selected position and stopping it when the hand passes another selected position several minutes later.

A skillful operator can stop the impulse count- This may be accomplished by er at zero on the scale, anyone can set it at 7 zero by using the control lever to rock the armature manually until the pointer arrives at zero.

With either of the connections suggested, the magnet of the impulse counter is energized for each spark and, therefore, gives a readily visible indication either actually or substantially at the same instant. l

The impulse counter enables the student, with, the aid of a stop watch, to accurately determine for himself the time corresponding to a selectednumber of vibrations or spark intervals, which is important, both because the interval is a squared quantity in all acceleration formulae, and because the student is not asked to accept this basic quantity on faith.

When the spark timer and the impulse counter have been rated with a stop watch, they become a high-speed electricalstop watch useful whereever short intervals are-to be measured.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that the construction and operation of my device will bev apparent to those skilled in the art and that changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an impulse'counter, a base, a pair of sleeves rigidly mounted on said base and extending upwardly therefrom, an electro-magnet, means for energizing the same, an armature for said magnet, an indicator shaft journaled in one/ of said sleeves, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, a pawl on said armature for operating said ratchet, an indicator hand on the upper end of said shaft, a scale beneath said hand, a pinion on said shaft, a second shaft journaled in the other of said sleeves, a gear on said second shaft in mesh with said pinion, a pointer on the upper end of said second shaft, and manually operated means for stopping the movements of said hand and pointer .while said electro-magnet is being energized and deenergized.

2. In an electrically operated impulse counter and stop watch timer, a pair of dials, a pair of indicators movable around said dials, mechanism including an electro-magnet for causing said indicators to move around said dial in timed relation, an armature, means for pi'votally mounting said armature adjacent to said magnet, an arm on said armature, a spring for normally retaining said armature out of contact with said magnet, and means comprising a pivoted lever having a push rod on one end and a cam surface on the other for engaging said arm for moving the armature into engagement with said magnet when said push rod is operated.

3. In apparatus of 'the class described, an impulse counter including an indicator and means for automatically continuously operating the indicator at equal intervals of time including a ratchet, holding and driving pawls cooperating with the ratchet, an armature for operating the driving pawl, said armature having an extension thereon, a magnet for moving the armature, and

means including a single lever member having a cam on one end for engaging said extension for stopping the operation of said impulse counter at any time during its operation and for resetting said indicator.

4. An apparatus of the class described comprising a pair of pointers, a scale beneath each pointer, a gear and pinion for driving one shaft from the other, means including a ratchet mechanism for operating one of said pointers intermittently, an electro-magnet, a movable armature operable by said magnet for operating said ratchet mechanism, a manually'operated cam for engaging said armature, and a lever for moving said cam for stopping said pointers and for resetting the same at any. point desired.

5. In an impulse counter, a base, an electromagnet mounted on said base, means for energizing the same, an armature for said magnet,

ture into engagement with said magnet when said push rod is operated.

6. An impulse counter comprising a base, a pair of elongated bearings mounted on said base and extending upwardly therefrom, a shaft Journaled in each bearing, a pointer on each shaft, a scale beneath each pointer, an intermeshing gear and pinion on said shafts, a ratchet on one of said .shafts, an electromagnet on said base, a pivoted armature member having a portion thereof extending through an enlarged opening in said base, a resilient pawl rigidly mounted on said armature member for operating said ratchet, adjustable means for normally holding said armature member spaced from said magnet, a lever pivoted member beneath said base, a push rod extending upwardly through said base and connected to said lever, and a cam engagement between said members for forcing said armature member into engagement with said magnet when said push rod is depressed,

PAUL a. KLOPSTEG. 

